I had this sent to me as having first hand experience with the laws and justice system.
a threat currently facing British society and the criminal justice system, specifically in relation to the rights to a fair trial and access to justice. I know this subject will be of interest and concern to you. This threat comes from our own Government. Their plans to introduce major reforms to criminal Legal Aid within the next 12 months will erode these fundamental rights which should be afforded to all citizens in a fair and democratic society.
The Governments proposals include removing the right of defendants and suspects to choose their own solicitor, even though they may be required to contribute towards the costs of their defence under Legal Aid, and cutting the fees paid to criminal defence lawyers so drastically that the quality of representation is going to be massively reduced. I have written to my MP about this and secured a meeting with her. There is going to be a large public demonstration outside Parliament on 22nd May. This is how strongly defence lawyers feel that the Government's proposed reforms are very bad news for the criminal justice system and the right to a fair trial.
If you would like to read her letter to my MP (and the hopelessly inadequate reply), and better still might then be inspired to write to your own MP, it has been posted on the website of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and you can find it by following this link;
http://www.lccsa.org.uk/blog.asp?ItemID=100
The current cost of criminal Legal Aid and the Governments misconceived plans to reduce that spend are starting to gain a lot of coverage in the press and social media, (some reports more accurate than others). Even if you dont have time to follow the debate, the very short document attached outlines the legal professions key concerns about the proposed reforms. Please read it, and if you do nothing else, please do sign the e-petition to the Government to "Save UK Justice";
Its very easy to sign up to the petition and takes only a minute or two. So I would really appreciate it if you and your family would all sign it. Please circulate it widely and encourage others to sign it too. I am sure anyone who has had any kind of brush with the law, and many who havent, will be appalled by the removal of choice and quality of defence representation. We need as much public support as possible for this campaign against the proposed reforms of criminal Legal Aid. The petition currently has approximately 33,000 signatories and it was only started a few weeks ago. If we can reach 100,000 the Government will be forced to have a debate on the issue in Parliament.
a threat currently facing British society and the criminal justice system, specifically in relation to the rights to a fair trial and access to justice. I know this subject will be of interest and concern to you. This threat comes from our own Government. Their plans to introduce major reforms to criminal Legal Aid within the next 12 months will erode these fundamental rights which should be afforded to all citizens in a fair and democratic society.
The Governments proposals include removing the right of defendants and suspects to choose their own solicitor, even though they may be required to contribute towards the costs of their defence under Legal Aid, and cutting the fees paid to criminal defence lawyers so drastically that the quality of representation is going to be massively reduced. I have written to my MP about this and secured a meeting with her. There is going to be a large public demonstration outside Parliament on 22nd May. This is how strongly defence lawyers feel that the Government's proposed reforms are very bad news for the criminal justice system and the right to a fair trial.
If you would like to read her letter to my MP (and the hopelessly inadequate reply), and better still might then be inspired to write to your own MP, it has been posted on the website of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and you can find it by following this link;
http://www.lccsa.org.uk/blog.asp?ItemID=100
The current cost of criminal Legal Aid and the Governments misconceived plans to reduce that spend are starting to gain a lot of coverage in the press and social media, (some reports more accurate than others). Even if you dont have time to follow the debate, the very short document attached outlines the legal professions key concerns about the proposed reforms. Please read it, and if you do nothing else, please do sign the e-petition to the Government to "Save UK Justice";
Bottom line Guys in layman's terms, unless you can afford a specialist brief without legal aid you will be appointed "adequate" legal representation.
This is very scary as the firearms laws and ordinance laws here in the UK are very complicated, so much so even the police and other authorities have no idea of what is what.
The attitude of the home office in many cases is to let a judge decide each case separately, thus creating its own case law. Authorities have confiscated whole collections though ignorance to which were only returned with the help of a specialised brief.
Don't get banged up or you stuff taken for no reason just because they say so-please sign the petition to keep your right to a proper brief who knows what they are on and will fight your case all the way.
Help us get 100,00 names on the petition below and then they have got to hear us.
Don't not sign it because you think it don't or won't effect you, read this short poem attributed to Dachau Prisoner pastor Martin Niemller (18921984) about the sloth of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power
First they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
and there was no one left to speak for me.